Posts

It is easy to make quick assumptions about people and even quicker to hate something you don’t understand. I have seen a lot of anti-fans turn into hardcore stans so it isn’t impossible! Yet hating on a group without actually listening to them or doing any research on them is not only stupid but can make you look like quite the idiot. It’s easy to use a big name of a popular artist to grab attention and after finally getting onto twitter I have found that out completely. Recently some guy on twitter has been coming after EXO, a lot of his points about why he doesn’t like EXO are quite biased and idiotic. I am not saying the guy has to like EXO, listen to their music, or apologize for not like them. You can be your own person and like and dislike to your own fancy, but if you deliberately hate and bash on a group for no reason then sorry but you get no pity from me.

A certain someone has been tweeting about EXO recently but his tweets don’t seem very consistent. going through his tweets a few days ago you could see tweets like

” I don’t even need to listen to Exo’s music to know I hate it. I really don’t”

As well as other tweets saying EXO copies 1D ( One Direction) and that EXO doesn’t hold any talent. he Has also stated disrespectful things such as EXO only has a few “young and stupid fans”. Of course after his tweeting EXO-Ls have been coming after him and it isn’t hard to understand why. He has bashed on EXO for no reason but ‘disliking their music’ and also insulted the EXO-L fandom. After EXO-Ls started using hashtags aimed to evict him from Big Brother ( a T.V. show he apparently is supposed to take part of) he seemingly has changed his mind. a tweet from him now says:

“I just started listening to a new band called Exo they are really good”

????

Now I cant find his original tweets about EXO ( I still have pictures tho) or the tweets at him calling him out for being so disrespectful. It seems a bit odd doesn’t it? It isn’t like you cannot change your mind about something you once did not like. I am not saying after he gave EXO a chance he didn’t find that he was wrong. I just find it funny however that after he was so sure that he hated EXO, now suddenly he likes them?? Did he tweet about EXO just to see how many fans he could stir up? Looking through his twitter he seems to be very fragile. Tweeting about how upset he is that people are so rude to him on twitter, begging EXO fans to stop tweeting at him and threatening to write down peoples usernames to give to the police for ‘bullying him’. He seems to hate rude people ( who doesn’t) but then is very rude himself. After being so rude to EXO and EXO-Ls and now suddenly acting like he is super into the group seems a bit sticky. No apology? No tweet saying you were wrong and that you are sorry? BOY PLEASE.

Again it isn’t even like his tweet was simply ‘EXO isn’t my cup of tea’ or ‘I just don’t like EXO’ because no one should get hate for stating an opinion that isn’t even offensive. People are not going to always like the same things you do. We can move on. This was a rant about how much EXO sucks. Just one big letter to EXO telling them how awful their career is going and to EXO-Ls telling them how stupid we are for supporting EXO. I mean I don’t think triple million seller, internationally famous, started form the bottom now we here boyband EXO are doing too bad? I don’t think supporting a hardworking group of guys is bad? Maybe I’m just a young and stupid fan? Please note that defamation is illegal and also defined as:

‘Any intentional false communication, either written or spoken, that harms a person’s reputation; decreases the respect, regard, or confidence in which a person is held; or induces disparaging, hostile, or disagreeable opinions or feelings against a person’ -Merriam Webster Dictionary on defamation.

Not saying this was defamation, but it seems a bit close for comfort. After all EXO is not copying 1D and their career is actually doing very well unlike what his tweets are trying to have you believe.

It has been a year for kpop. Kpop is gaining more and more popularity and yet we still see people bashing on idols for no reason other than attention. What makes it worse is when they flip the script and act like they love/respect these bands without any apology or regard for their words towards the artists or fans. It is okay to make mistakes and it is okay to like something you originally didn’t. It is not okay to disrespect hard working artists and their fans for nothing but attention. It is not okay to think you can say whatever you want and be forgiven that easily, especially when you have done nothing to make up for the unnecessary hate you’ve been giving.

A little advice

If you have nothing nice to say then don’t say it.

If you must say it then think hard about the consequences. People will come after you if you offend them that’s just human nature.

If you cant handle the heat, stay out of the kitchen. If you are unable to handle people coming after you…Don’t start stuff?

Don’t be fake. People will be able to see right through you. It can damage your image and reputation and career. Isn’t it better just to live your life without being so disrespectful? This stuff can haunt you.

You really don’t have to like kpop or anything you don’t want to like. We are human and we are different, we will like and dislike different things all the time. The problem is being disrespectful is never the way to go. So if You genuinely have gotten into EXO then I am still expecting some sort of explanation for your previous hate towards them and the EXO-L fandom. If you haven’t then please leave.

We don’t need fake hate because it just stirs the pot, we don’t need your artificial love because we have plenty of real love to spare. Take Your hypocritical self and find the nearest exit. Thanks.

With EXO’s comeback nearing ever faster I am sure many OT9 fans are in different states of emotions. While the teasers are looking gorgeous and the songs all sounding great, we can’t help but notice something or someone missing. As we all should know by now (unless SM decides to give us a great surprise and pull Yixing out of nowhere) our beloved unicorn is not participating in this comeback. Many of us assumed that SM meant the promotions, but as teaser after teaser is released we sadly acknowledged Lay’s absence. IT seems Lay will not only miss promotions, but will not be on the album at all nor in the MV. Should we be upset? Should we boycott the comeback? Will SM ever give us an answer to why Lay couldn’t have at least been in the album (probably not) ? Lay does not have to be present to record his parts for the songs (lets be honest with SM’s line distributions he probably wouldn’t have many to begin with) but we know he did fly to Korea around the time the MV was being filmed. Did he come back for the MV and SM snubbed him? Did he comeback to discuss EXO’s comeback? I guess we wont know for sure until something is officially released, if it is at all. This is beginning to seem like an end for some fans, and I’m sure we can all agree EXO-Ls have a right to be worried.

BUT LETS GET A FEW THINGS STRAIGHT.

First we have to trust Yixing. Remember that he has told us countless times that he will not leave EXO. He promotes EXO in China often and does not forget he is a member of EXO.

Although time passes, there is a word I cannot express,
sinking down in my heart.
‘I’m sorry’ ‘I love you’
asking you to believe in me like this time
I will hug you and hold your hands
If I am able to express my heart,I will devote myself to you.

— EXO “Promise”

Remember that Lay helped compose this song, and it’s other title is (EXO 2014) which any EXO-L will know was our toughest year. Looking at the lyrics we see our boys telling us that they will continue on as one, as EXO. Thanking us for staying with them and apologizing for any disappointment. They didn’t have to make this song, but they wanted to show us that EXO will always be one and that we should know that as their fans.

Secondly, remember that politics play a huge role, even in entertainment. Politically S. Korea and China relations are rocky. I am not sure how much SM can really dictate in regards to the tensions between the two countries, and Sm is a company. Follow the money. Keeping Lay in China means a bigger audience and more revenue. Before Yixing became popular in China, many Chinese fans were uncertain of him and of EXO. When Yixing became more prominent in China EXO as a whole gained more respect from Chinese fans, we can see that with this comeback. Lay in China is an advantageous move on SM’s part and they may want to keep it this way. Lay has a studio in China and has his own schedules which is often why he misses concerts and promotions. He is Chinese and he has every right to want to promote and show love to his Chinese fans. We should not blame him for this. Yixing is doing more than he probably could in Korea and this only showcases EXO and Yixing better.

So what should we do as fans?

Let’s remember that this comeback is very important! SM promotes their more popular groups as it brings them more money. Kpop is an industry, money makes the business. If SM sees EXO lose steam they may not be as likely to give them another comeback. As Military service is quickly approaching, we want every opportunity for EXO to comeback as OT9 again possible. Show this comeback lots of love as we would any other comeback. DON’T FORGET ABOUT LAY!!! There are projects in the working to show SM we still support EXO as OT9. For Lay’s birthday we are trying to get both his solo MV’s What U Need?andLose Control to 10M views before his Birthday on October 7th. Also remember to support his solo on SM STATION Monodrama. EXO-Ls are also planning on a hashtag project for Lay before the new MV drops. July 17th 11-12 AM KST or the day before the rumored comeback ( July 18th) trend the hashtags #LAYthewar, and #kokoxing and tag @weareoneEXO. This is to support OT9 and show SM that even if they don’t think it is important, leaving out a member is not an option. Spread the word.

Don’t forget to show this comeback a lot of love and support. We want SM to give EXO another comeback with all members.

Six years ago my family told me this whole “kpop thing” was a phase. I’m not going to lie and say I wasn’t a little offended, but a part of me wondered if it was true. This was six years ago. Six years ago kpop in the U.S. wasn’t too popular, especially outside of the Asian communities and especially especially in my home town of Omaha. I remember being teased about liking kpop. People asking me things like “why do you even listen to what you can’t understand?” or just telling me that that the boys all looked like girls. In my high school I only had one real friend who really listened to kpop but she and I were never in the same classes. All of my other friends never wanted to listen to kpop. No one would pass me the aux cord, when I insisted or begged my music be played everyone complained about it. I don’t think anyone was trying to be mean or to be rude really. Not everyone likes kpop and I could understand that. It was just the way people acted about it, as if they never played music I didn’t like. I don’t think many people understood what this music meant to me.

Growing up there was not a whole lot of Asian representation in American media that wasn’t racist or stereotypical. In the music industry Asian representation dropped to almost non-existent. I felt lost, and as a younger person it caused me a lot of pain. Maybe I hid it fairly well but I wasn’t okay. Maybe no one really thought I cared because my family was white american, maybe in their view I had become so whitewashed it didn’t matter that I was Asian. It mattered to me. I had people from grade school who made fun of me, telling me to open my eyes or go back to my own country. As I grew older these insults didn’t go away. People would call me a chink, ask if I was from North Korea, and say things like “oh ching chong ling long!” as if that made any sense at all. So when I found kpop I was surprised at how many non-Asian people there where supporting these men and women. People who called these Asians beautiful and talented, people who wished they could be Korean or just Asian. Suddenly I found a world where I felt welcomed, admired, and loved. I found a doorway to the culture of my homeland that I never knew existed.

Now it seems like kpop is everywhere. In teen magazines, on huge billboards, on American radio talk shows, and all over YouTube. While I am excited about the growth kpop has made even in the last six years, I also feel like kpop fans are becoming more and more hostile towards each other. Now you can barely mention BTS without someone going “OMG yes they are my favorite! Infires Man!” which is fun I guess. What gets me is that a lot of new kpop fans don’t seem to care about anyone else in the industry but their favorites. Not all new kpop fans are this way, but the ones who are catch most of the attention. Fans like this will drag another group just for the sake of loving their favorites. Now let me make this clear, YOU DO NOT HAVE TO LOVE ALL KPOP GROUPS. People act like kpop is one huge genre, it isn’t. Within kpop there are lots of different music styles so its not crazy to think that someone who likes SHINee isn’t fond of a group like BTS, the style of music is totally different. This being said GROUPS AND ARTISTS DESERVE RESPECT. I am a firm believer that no matter if you think an idol is unattractive, or you don’t like a certain group for whatever reason, it does not give anyone the right the be rude. All artists work hard, not just your favorites. If you don’t have something nice to say then don’t say it? I cannot be the only one who learned this growing up. If you are someone who drags groups for no other reason than to make your favorite group look good, then you are not a fan. Think about this, would any of these very respectful idols like seeing their fans drag other artists? Especially ones that are older or came first? Ones they like and also admire as friends and fans? No they wouldn’t. And by making yourself look rude, you make the group you support also look bad.

If you are anything like me you will know and understand what a blessing kpop is, and what a blessing other kpop fans are. Imagine having no one like your music, imagine them judging you and bullying you for it. I am overly happy when I meet new people who love kpop, because I can openly talk about it without being told that no one cares. Remember that there are plenty of fans who share your feelings and can become good friends of yours. Just know we are stronger together than we are apart.

**** Also even though I have been in this game for 6 years, I am still considered a newbie.

The K-pop world can be a crazy one! From navigating through fan wars to avoiding scalpers and everything in-between, it can be a little overwhelming. Newbie or K-pop veteran we could all use a little advice and a lot of love and support from fellow fans. This is where I come in, your local Kpop companion ready to help!

Need advice for your first concert?

Need an opinion on buying or selling merch?

Want to share thoughts on scandals?

Want to be in touch with someone involved in multiple fandoms with a deep love and appreciation for all artists?

Have K-beauty questions related to products and trends?

Just want to see an adorable cat because you feel down?

I’m you’re gal!

The wonderful world of Kpop is magical and you’re bound to meet some amazing people from all over the globe. Sharing experiences and opinions are wanted and encouraged as long as they are respectful! Welcome to the family, I promise not all of us bite.